


Into the Wild

by Zenoszyne



Category: Men's Football RPF, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Hunter AU, Inspired by Disney (somehow), M/M, Magic, Minor Injuries, Telepathy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 04:06:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18307865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zenoszyne/pseuds/Zenoszyne
Summary: Sergio and Gareth are hunters trying to hunt a white deer from a local legend. Luka finds it first.





	Into the Wild

**Author's Note:**

> My first Rakidrić story! Let me know what you think in the comments.

The forest was silent. He could barely hear the footsteps and laughter of his friends, but everything around him seemed to be dead.

They walked through the trees with rifles in their arms and a few steps ahead of Luka, who walked behind them simply enjoying the landscape.

He had agreed to accompany them for the simple fact that they were his friends, because he really didn't find it interesting to hunt wild animals for his own benefit knowing that this was indeed a crime that had its consequences.

The forest was known for possessing the most diverse fauna: from small animals to voracious beasts. For the latter were there. And possibly to meet the mythical white deer that everyone talked about, even outside their group, as a kind of regional urban legend.

"The first one who finds the head of that deer, wins!" Sergio shouted enthusiastically, preparing the rifle he brought with him.

"I don't understand, why do you want to hunt that deer?" Luka asked, who had barely heard parts of that legend around the town, but he never knew the whole story.

"They say that here lives a white deer that can become a beast, many tried to hunt it, but nobody managed to get out alive," Gareth explained enthusiastically. "It is also said that that deer was a human before, but that by a spell it became an animal," he turned his head to look at Luka's eyes. "It's strange that you don't know about it, everyone in the town does."

Luka just nodded.

"I'll look around, I'll be right back." and he walked calmly from the place, the voices of Gareth and Sergio becoming more and more distant.

Luka could only hear his own footsteps and some birds sing; although everything felt silent around him. He looked everywhere, until the ruin of a dry branch breaking behind him made him instinctively point that way with his rifle.

He was relieved to see that it was just a white deer, like one of those in the legend. He lowered the gun and smiled in relief, but the surprise was big when he heard a voice outside his head, a sweet and soft one. He didn't know where it came from.

" _Please_ , _don't_ _be_ _afraid_ , _I_ _don't_ _want_ _to_ _hurt_ _you_." he said, although his mouth didn't move. Luka was surprised in such a way that he fell on the ground, still looking at the imposing animal in front of him.

That animal was talking to him.

"You... can you ...?" Thousands of questions ran through his head at that moment, but he could barely say those two words. The very thought of knowing that an animal was talking to him literally left him thinking.

" _Speak_? _Yes_. _Although_ _I_ _didn't_ _know_ _I_ _could_ _do_ _it_." he answered, and extended a paw so he could get up. Luka accepted. " _Do_ _you_ _know_ _who_ _I_ _am_?"

"T-the deer of the legend?"

" _Yes_. _But_ _hey_ , _my_ _name_ _is_ _not_ ' _deer_ ', _I'm_ _Ivan_."

"I'm sorry, uh, I'm Luka," he said, followed by an awkward silence, until he decided to speak again. "H-how did you end up like this?" he asked, without finding other words to express his curiosity.

" _Well_... _you_ _know_ _what_ _it_ _is_ _about_ , _don't_ _you_? _The_ _people_ _around_ _the_ _town_ _used_ _to_ _say_ _that_ _I_ _was_ _dating_ _a_ _magician_ , _although_ _for_ _me_ _she_ _was_ _just_ _a_ _friend_. _When_ _she_ _confessed_ _her_ _feelings_ _and_ _I_ rejected her, _she_ _got_ _so_ _angry_ _that_ _he_ _turned_ _me_ _into_ _this_ , _presumably_ _so_ _that_ _no_ _one_ _could_ ' _fell_ _in_ _love_ _with_ _me_ ', _and_ _I_ _escaped_ _to_ _here_ , _so_ _no_ _one_ _could_ _kill_ _me_."

"What? And she's still alive? Maybe... I could ask her for a potion or something to get you back to normal," he suggested, while thinking of other possibilities. However, Ivan interrupted him.

" _I_ _don't_ _think_ _so_ , _that_ _happened_  a _long_ _time_   _ago_. _With_ _some_ _luck_ , _she's_ _already_ _dead_." He commented sarcastically, which made him smile.

"And ... can't you do it by yourself? I mean, the legend says you could turn into a beast, so I guess the same thing will happen if you try."

" _I've_ _tried_ _it_ _several_ _times_ , _but_ _I_ _think_ _it's_ _a_ _natural_ _thing_ , _and_ _yes_ , _that's_ _true_ , _but_ _it_ _only_ _happens_ _when_ I feel in _danger_ , _so_ _I_ _have_ _no_ _idea_ _how_ _to_ _become_ _a_ _human_ _on_ _my_ _own_."

And so they kept talking. Luka was so interested in his story, that he didn't realize that it was getting dark, and he would have to return soon with his friends to the town if he didn't want something to happen to himself or to them, so he said goodbye to Ivan and he went back the way he had taken. Although he was sure he was in the right direction, he helped himself with a flashlight, which made everything easier.

A few minutes later, he was back with Sergio and Gareth, who were already walking out from the forest. He ran to them and joined them in the conversation.

"Luka, there you are!", "I thought something bad had happened to you, why did you take so long?" they said almost at the same time, looking at him somewhat worried.

"As I said, I was just looking around, I'm sorry if I worried you." He explained to both of them.

And though his head and heart screamed to told them about Ivan, he never dared to. Even if they were his closest friends, he decided to keep that secret to himself. He felt that somehow it was going to betray the trust that Ivan already had in him.

A few minutes later, they had already returned to town. They said goodbye and each one took his own way to go home, but not before agreeing a date to meet again: the following Saturday.

Luka agreed, only to give them a new excuse to enter the forest once more and talk to the deer.

 

That night, he almost didn't sleep. His head was full of thoughts related to the events that occurred. Questions, theories and even possible ways of helping him to become human again and being able to get him out of there kept him awake for a long time until a few hours later he was able to reconcile the dream.

 

The week had gone painfully _slow_. And finally there was only one hour left for them to reunite with their friends. Luka had thought of different strategies to help Ivan, but in the end none of them made sense. He felt frustrated and even angry with himself. If it had somehow been able to prevent that from happening before ...

He sighed heavily and picked up everything he needed: some food, a coat, and his rifle loaded with some bullets, just in case.

He was sitting in the forest entrance, waiting for Gareth and Sergio to arrive. Meanwhile, he closed his eyes for a while and listened to the sounds: birds, the water of a stream flowing in the distance and the gentle breeze that hit him. Suddenly, he began to hear some laughter and people calling him. He opened his eyes. Indeed, they were there.

"Luka, We're sorry for the delay, Sergio had to make sure three times to bring the necessary bullets." Gareth said smiling and extending his hand like a greeting. The expression on the smaller man's face changed suddenly.

"What do you mean by 'bringing the necessary bullets'?" He wished it was just one of his jokes.

"I didn't tell you, but today we'll try to find that deer, again." said Sergio, adjusting his rifle to his shoulder. "Everyone will keep a part of it, don't worry."

 

Luka's face went _pale_.

"And how do you know which one is the right one? He's not the only one in the forest. You could kill an innocent deer."

"That's easy: the legend says that when he feels in danger, he becomes a beast, if he were an ordinary deer, he would only run before we found him."

He couldn't deny it. His point was good.  
But he had to do something to prevent either of them from trying to hurt Ivan. Even any of them three could get hurt in the process. His heart was beating a mile a minute, as he thought of new excuses so that neither Sergio nor Gareth would go to that part of the forest with him.

They walked to the point where they had stayed before to leave their things, and Luka took advantage of the silence that was generated for a few seconds to interrupt them before they spoke.

"Did you hear that?"

"What thing?", "I didn't heard anything." said the two, looking at him for an answer or an explanation.

"I heard it, I'll go see what it is, I'll be right back." He gave them a small smile and went to the path he had taken before to meet Ivan.

 

The route was the same. Nothing had changed. Same trees, sounds and animals. Luka was relieved that at least the lie worked, and he shouldn't waste time; at any moment Gareth and Sergio would begin to suspect and follow his way. Although nothing had happened yet.

"Ivan?" he called almost in a whisper, looking for signs of the deer in all the corners around him.

 

Nothing.

 

He was about to go deeper into the forest, when he felt a weight on his back. He turned, hoping it was not them, but a smile appeared in his face when he saw the animal. He was happy to see him one more time.

" _Luka_ , _I_ _thought_ _I_ _would_ _never_ _see_ _you_ _again_!" the voice sounded in his head as if it were of an ordinary human.

"Glad to see you again." He smiled and stood on tiptoes to caress his head and back. "There's something I want to tell you."

" _Tell_ _me_."

"My friends came back, and they are looking for you, I told them that I heard a sound with the excuse of investigating to come and see you. The point is, that you have to hide, they want to kill you, Ivan." The last words came out of his mouth with fear. The truth had finally been told.

Ivan didn't want to run away and leave Luka there alone. He felt a bad omen about it.

" _But_ _I_ _don't_ _want_ _to_ _leave_ _you_ _here_ _alone_."

"And I don't want you to die," he confessed, and seeing Ivan's curious look, added "I have to get you back to normal."

 

"Luka!" He heard behind his back. For a moment, he felt that his heart was about to stop beating. Sergio was approaching him with the rifle in his hands. "Are you crazy? Are you talking to a fucking deer?"

"Sergio, you don't understand, let me explain it to-" but he was interrupted by a shot that went towards one of Ivan's legs, who screamed in pain, trying to stand up again. "Leave him alone! Listen to me for a second, Sergio! Please!" He approached his friend but he avoided him, causing Luka to lose his stability for a moment.

"It's him, right?" All this time you've hidden the truth from us, why the fuck do you worry so much? It's just a fucking deer! " he shouted. Luka looked at him with pure fury. Nothing mattered anymore.

"If you just tried to hear me for once! Ivan is the deer of the legend, and he was turned into this by a spell, I want to help him, Sergio, he has good intentions, he doesn't want to hurt you!" he replied.

Although he only received a moan in response.

 

He looked at Ivan, and he was gone.

  
In its place was a beast that was twice its size, with eyes burning with fury. He didn't even look at Luka, because his target was clear: Sergio, who was now lying on the grass, holding his leg with both hands, full of blood, screaming in pain after the beast made a painful scratch in his skin.

"Sergio, stop! Don't hurt him, please!" Luka shouted, running to where his friend was, who with some effort could point with his rifle at Ivan.

"Luka, for God's sake, I don't want that thing to hurt either of us, let me do it!"

"Don't!" He aimed the rifle scope at his chest to keep him from trying. "If you want to shoot him, first shoot _me_."

Sergio remained silent, astonished at the words of his friend. The look in his eyes reflected anger and fear, but Luka seemed certain of his words.

A shot was heard behind his back. The ground trembled loudly, and the roar of the beast was present. Luka raised his head and saw Gareth with the rifle in his hands. He released the weapon and ran to the aid of Sergio, who was still losing some blood.

"Why did you do that?!" Luka shouted at him, threatening to cry. Before Gareth could answer, he ran to where the beast was. He went to his ear, and hugged him with all his force.

"Ivan, Ivan, listen to me, it's me, Luka, do you still remember me?" he said in a broken voice. "I'm so sorry, I couldn't help you," he sobbed, caressing his fur. He took off the jacket that covered him and climbed, with some effort, to his chest, where the injury was. He cleaned all the blood he could, and left it there to keep more blood from coming out. Then he went back to where his ear was. The beast was watching him, with black eyes and still breathing through his mouth with difficulty.

"Ivan, I don't want you to die, I don't know what to do to help you, I've thought of everything, I'm so sorry ..." By then, Luka was crying. Behind him, Sergio and Gareth were silent, watching the scene surprised. They had never seen Luka act that way.

 

The ambient had become heavy and cold.

Suddenly, he felt the beast's chest stop rising. Luka looked at him one last time, his eyes red from crying and his voice broken. He hugged him once more, stroking his fur.

A feeling of heaviness invaded him, and the tears fell freely to the ground.

"Luka, better if ..." Sergio wanted to speak, but Gareth interrupted him with a little punch on his arm. They should give him a little time.

Magically, a glow turned around where Ivan was. Luka walked away instinctively, scared and surprised at the same time. Before his eyes he saw the beast transform into someone much smaller, the size of a human being.

 

It couldn't be true...

 

Finally, he saw a man much taller than him, with blond hair and striking green eyes. He got off the ground with some effort, even with the bruise on his chest and leg. His clothes were a bit dirty, as if decades had passed after he had changed them. The man smiled at him.

" _Ivan_?" Luka asked in a trembling voice. He was trying not to smile.

" _Luka_ ," he replied, extending his arms. The shorter one didn't hesitate to run towards him, with the greatest of joys invading his chest after all that had happened. Ivan's arms were around his waist, and they remained silent for a time. It could have passed seconds, minutes, or hours. They really didn't know for sure. Until they parted to look at each other in the eye.

"I really don't understand it! H-how is that-?" A million questions crossed his mind again, but that was what mattered least at that moment.

Ivan's spell had finally broken, after so many years.

"There's nothing to understand, Luka, at least I'm here now, with you, and I can finally do what I've always wanted to do."

Before he could answer, they were both kissing in a gentle way. It was a soft kiss, but full of feelings. Luka was overflowing happiness.

He turned his head after finishing the kiss and saw Gareth and Sergio with their mouths open, astonished at everything that had just happened in such a short time.

"I think Ivan deserves an apology"

"Sorry, Ivan for almost killing you, and you, Luka, for not listening to you before." said the two, rising from the ground and approaching the other two.

"We must leave." Ivan suggested.

 

All agreed.

Everyone picked up their things and left that part of the forest, wishing never to return. There were many things to explain on the way back home.


End file.
